The rotation of the earth seemed to slow. Dawn stretched its fingers toward the sky but never seemed to take hold, and Doe sat at the mouth of her stone den with the galaxy written into her eyes. She'd never thought too much about Qilaq's preoccupation with the stars, but looking at them now, she thought she could see it. What had always been wallpaper to her was now a vast and untouched land, as real to her as the sea that stretched on past the horizon.
She was a vain and self-centered creature. She rarely thought past her own agency, but here and now, she recognized that the world was a much bigger place. And, as she often did when such contemplative moods struck her, Doe saw herself and her situation as if from very far away. As if she was one of Qilaq's stars, looking down on a small, insignificant, heavily pregnant shewolf.
"I come from the plains; I'm a desert girl," she murmured to herself, the words lilting like a song in the pre-dawn air. The crash of waves was distant in her ears, but her own voice thrummed around her. With tears in her eyes, Doe lost herself to her memories. She thought of her mother, Hind, and wondered what she would say if she could see her daughter now. She thought of Riverbone, whose children she'd been destined to bear. Would he still love her, or had he forgotten her now? She thought of her brother and of Mirage, and of the sons of Riverbone she'd left behind. There were days when she still woke up to the sounds of their laughter, only to realize it was just a dream.
Another contraction wracked her body, but Doe remained out on the ledge, unwilling to submit herself to the darkness of the birthing den just yet. It was going to be a beautiful day, warm and clear - possibly the last of the season. Possibly the last warm day Doe would see before the long winter set it, and she wanted to breathe it in.
The babes inside her had waited this long to be born; they could allow their mother to watch the sunrise one last time before she brought them into the world.
She was a vain and self-centered creature. She rarely thought past her own agency, but here and now, she recognized that the world was a much bigger place. And, as she often did when such contemplative moods struck her, Doe saw herself and her situation as if from very far away. As if she was one of Qilaq's stars, looking down on a small, insignificant, heavily pregnant shewolf.
"I come from the plains; I'm a desert girl," she murmured to herself, the words lilting like a song in the pre-dawn air. The crash of waves was distant in her ears, but her own voice thrummed around her. With tears in her eyes, Doe lost herself to her memories. She thought of her mother, Hind, and wondered what she would say if she could see her daughter now. She thought of Riverbone, whose children she'd been destined to bear. Would he still love her, or had he forgotten her now? She thought of her brother and of Mirage, and of the sons of Riverbone she'd left behind. There were days when she still woke up to the sounds of their laughter, only to realize it was just a dream.
Another contraction wracked her body, but Doe remained out on the ledge, unwilling to submit herself to the darkness of the birthing den just yet. It was going to be a beautiful day, warm and clear - possibly the last of the season. Possibly the last warm day Doe would see before the long winter set it, and she wanted to breathe it in.
The babes inside her had waited this long to be born; they could allow their mother to watch the sunrise one last time before she brought them into the world.
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